HALO FÊTE - America's first Ice Cream Patisserie - Featuring French Pastries created with Ice Cream from the Halo Farm micro-dairy, served in a café modeled from city of Colmar, France (The sister city of Princeton, NJ)
ENTRY INFORMATION
1. Brief Explanation of the scope of work and retail price of the project.
The project included the demolition of a former Cingular Wireless Phone Store and construction of a new gourmet pastry shop. The finishes are consistent with the style of a European café. The project was completed on 2-1-05.
2. Creative solutions involved in the project
The beams were recycled from a barn in Lancaster, PA. The entire rough sawn beam-ceiling system is suspended from the building structure framing above, creating a chase for HVAC, Plumbing, piping & wiring. The walls are finished with custom made wainscot "barge board" paneling and red Venetian Stucco above. Much of the painting was done with a gold rubbed glaze which accents the details in the millwork. The floor is made of Italian Carrera Marble mosaics and the counter tops are matching slabs of marble, all of which will wear with time as would a European Café. The back bar & service counter were custom made to fit in the space and accent the display freezers. The work kitchen was laid out in an effort to share services with the adjacent Halo Pub (an ice cream and coffee "Pub"). The owner doubled their customer area and created a showcase and display area for their ice cream pastries by remodeling this space.
3. Summary of project results
The store has the appearance of a (French) European café and serves as spillover seating from the adjacent English-styled ice cream "pub". Together, the two stores are a popular and successful destination for University students and the local community. The unique style is very different than any other similar use retail space in the area. The owner held a well attended Bastille Day celebration with a substantial turnout of ice cream fans in July.
4. Summary of the project
This Commercial Space is the recreation of an authentic French Café. The finishes include exposed rough sawn beam ceiling, Venetian Plaster walls, custom millwork & wainscot, Carrera Marble countertops and mosaic flooring. The pastry cases look right at home in "America's First Ice Cream Patisserie", with classic details from Europe.
